Skip to main content

tv   Democracy Now  LINKTV  June 27, 2013 8:00am-9:01am PDT

8:00 am
06.27.13 06.27.13 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] from pacifica, this is democracy now! day.day is a good today, i finally get to look at the man i love and finally say, will you please marry me? [applause] pair of major rulings, the supreme court overturns a law that denied federal benefits to same-sex couples and clears the way for same-sex marriage
8:01 am
to resume in california. an 84-year-old brought the challenge to the defense of marriage act. up in then row grow world today with bill doma, and those children who happen to be gay will be able to grow up and be married, but with the same fedor protections and dignities as everyone else. what a glorious way to do it. she would be so pleased. >> we will be joined by a married couple in california that have worked for years to legalize same-sex marriage. then we speak to filmmaker yoruba richen about her new film and we willack" speak to her about her film "promised land" about land reform in south africa. and then, cecile richards, head
8:02 am
of planned parenthood. sb5 is dead. >> that was cecile richards inside the texas state house after protesters blocked the passage of a bill that would have closed most of the state's abortion clinics. all that and more coming up. ? democracy now! the supreme court has paved the way for same-sex marriages to resume in california. in a 5-4 decision, the court ruled the defense of marriage act, signed by president clinton, is unconstitutional. this means legally married same- sex couples are entitled to claim the same benefits as heterosexual couples.
8:03 am
i am honored and humbled and overjoyed to be here to represent the thousands of americans whose lives have been adversely impacted by the defense of marriage act, but those whose hopes and dreams have been constricted by the same discriminatory law. children today will grow up in the world without doma, and those same children who happen to be gay will be free to love and be married, with the same federal benefits, protections, and dignity as everyone else the dead heat it windsor sued the color of government because she was forced to pay additional taxes. and the york city immigration judge stop the deportation hearing of a key colombian man married to a u.s. citizen. all they know they were legally married in new york, and federal law did not recognize their union.
8:04 am
minutes after doma was struck down, the supreme court also ruled supporters of the proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage in california do not have standing to appeal a lower- court ruling that overturned it. this effectively gives the green light for same-sex weddings to proceed in california. we will have more on the supreme court decisions after the headlines. ecuador is facing pressure to reject the asylum bid of edward snowden. robert menendez, chair of the u.s. senate foreign relations committee, said welcoming snowden would jeopardize u.s. trade preferences for ecuador. he said, our government will not reward countries for bad behavior. the foreign minister says his government could take anywhere between a few days to a few months on snowden's asylum bid.
8:05 am
he is believed to be in a transit area of the a moscow airport. chuck hagel hoped that the russians hand him over. >> i would hope that the russians do the right thing here and turn snowden over to the united states. general dempsey and others said that yes, damage was done by the snowden leaks and we are assessing that now, but make no ourake, this violation of loss was a serious security breach in our national security apparatus. >> president obama has kicked off his three-nation tour of africa in senegal. he will visit the port from where african slaves were forcibly sent to the nine estates. he is also due to visit south
8:06 am
africa, where nelson mandela remains in critical condition. president joseph zuma canceled a trip to visit with the president -- prime minister. his family is reportedly making preparations for his funeral. the senate has approved an amendment to the immigration reform bill that radically in spans and foresman along the u.s.-mexico border. the measure would double the number of border agents to 40,000, expand the use of drones, and conducts 700 miles of border fencing. the amendment was approved by an overwhelming vote of 69-29. now a number of immigrant rights groups are voicing concern the added security requirements are so extreme, they undermine the
8:07 am
bill over all. in a statement, leaders of the largest latino advocacy group said they cannot support the immigration bill in good conscience, as it is guaranteed to increase debt and destruction throughout militarization of the border. the mexican government is also voicing concerns. the foreign minister criticized the building of more barriers along the border. >> we are convinced a wall is not a solution for the migration cannot anon and is not congruent with a modern and secure border. it does not contribute to the development of the competitive region that both countries are looking for in support. >> final passage of the immigration bill could come as early as today. it faces an uncertain future in the house where house speaker john boehner said he will not allow a vote without majority
8:08 am
republican support. texas has carried out its 500 execution of a prisoner. kimberly mccarthy was executed for the 1997 murder of a neighbor. she won a reprieve earlier this year as lawmakers consider the composition of the jury. of was convicted by a jury 11 white and one african- american. the new york city council has approved a measure to increase oversight of the police department -- department in a safeguard against profiling. this creates an independent inspector general to oversee the nypd and broadens the definition of biased profiling to include age, gender, and housing orientation. mayor bloomberg has promised to veto the measure, but it has passed with enough votes to
8:09 am
override him. the cia has a knowledge four officers were embedded with the new york city police department. according to the new york times, one of the officers helped to conduct local surveillance but justified his role because he was on an unpaid leave of absence. in the years after 9/11, the cia helped the nypd develop a demographics unit that used informants to spy on muslims. the electronic privacy center which helped to obtain the findings said -- dismissed aurt has lawsuit filed by four former iraqi prisoners at abu ghraib
8:10 am
against the military contractor caci international. the men have accused of the firm's employees of torture and abuse by prisoners. one of the men was an iraqi farmer who claims he was beaten, a cage, and given electric shocks. the judge cited the recent supreme court decision to restrict lawsuits under the alien tour statute against corporations of abuses on foreign soil. another contractor, engility holdings, formerly known as l3, agreed to pay a $5 million settlement to seven prisoners last year. in a statement, the center for constitutional rights said -- a member of activist with the
8:11 am
group code pink were arrested at the white house when state and a protest for the closure of guantanamo bay prison. the group's co-founder was arrested after scaling the white house fence and attempting to deliver a letter to the white house front door. wilson is on a liquid-only fast in solidarity with hunger striking guantanamo prisoners. the second-degree murder trial of george zimmerman for killing unarmed african-american teenager trayvon martin continues in florida. martin's friend took the stand to testify about her phone conversation with trayvon just before the zimmerman shot him dead. she said that trayvon described the zimmerman as a creepy man. she said that his last words were get off, get off, before the line went dead. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. am one gonzales.
8:12 am
listen -- welcome to our listeners and viewers from across the globe. -- i'm juan gonzalez. in addition, the court paved the way for same-sex marriages to resume in california. when the 5-4 decision on doma was announced, an enormous cheer went up outside the court room and the crowd started chanting, doma is dead. the lead plaintiff in the case was an 84-year-old lesbian named edith windsor. she sued the government because they forced her to pay as aional property taxes tip that recognize her marriage. >> you on the supreme court has announced the decision in windsor versus the united states.
8:13 am
we won everything we've asked and hope for. i am honored and humbled and overjoyed to be here today to represent not only the thousands of americans whose lives have been adversely impacted by the defense of marriage act, but those whose hopes and dreams have been constructed by the same discriminatory law. children born today will grow up in a world without doma, and those same children who happen to be gay will be free to love and be married, as thea and i did but with the same federal protections and benefits as everyone else. if i had to survive thea, what a glorious way to do it. she would have been pleased. >> in his majority opinion in the case, and justice anthony kennedy wrote --
8:14 am
meanwhile, in his dissent, justice antonin scalia wrote -- >> minutes after doma was struck down, the supreme court declared another victory for same-sex couples. they announced supporters of the band of same-sex california did not have the ability to overturn a lower-court ruling. this effectively gives the green light for same-sex weddings to proceed in california. plaintiffs in the case reacted joyfully to the verdict. this is kris perry, jeffrey zarrillo, and paul katami >>
8:15 am
. >> today is a great day for california families. we are so happy to be able to return to california to be married, and to say that children in california, the matter who your parents are or what family you are in, you are equal, you are as good as your friends' parents, and as your friends. we believe the importance of this case was to send a message to the children of this country, that you are just as good as everyone else, no matter who you love, the matter who your parents love. >> today, the courts said that we are more equal, our love is just like our parents and grandparents, and that any children we may have in the future will be more secure. so today is a good day. >> today, i finally get to look
8:16 am
at the man i love, and finally say, will you please marry me? [applause] for more, we go to san francisco, where we are joined by stuart gaffney and john lewis. they were plaintiffs in the case. they were married, surrounded by friends and family in june 2008, on the first full day that marriages were allowed in california. gaffney and john lewis, welcome to democracy now!. response to what happened? after you were married, there was a ban placed on marriages in california, until yesterday. a sweet moment. those of us married in 2008 before the passage of
8:17 am
proposition 8, we are all celebrating our five-year anniversaries right now. what an anniversary gift we have just received of the u.s. supreme court to know that we are not just the class of 2008, a footnote in the history of marriage equality in this country, but we are the beginning of an era that that continues of the freedom to marry in california thanks to this decision. it is a happy day not just for the rights of all fair-minded americans, but also for our friends who have been waiting for as long as five years to be able to legally say i do. you showed us the joy from the steps of the supreme court, and i can tell you from san francisco city hall, the joy was that much greater as our friends began to plan their wedding day. >> john, take us through the first court decision on doma.
8:18 am
the court did basically allows states to continue to ban same- sex marriages. could you talk about what the import will be across the country, both in states that currently banned same-sex marriage, and those that do not. >> what i thought was striking about both doma decisions was how much the court talked about the dignity and respect that sexuld be due to loving same- committed couples. they are talking about couples who with the billing marital ready. they said that the so-called defense america act which it injures same-sex loving, -- couples, that it demeans their dignity. humiliation for their children. in these terms of the court talked about, about how important laws that hurt lesbian and gay people are to our basic humanity, i think this case will
8:19 am
serve as a very important precedent as the movement continues, with the eventual of having a ruling from the unites states -- supreme court that says every american, regardless of who you are or were you love, that you have a fundamental right to marry in whatever state you live in this nation. >> justice antonin scalia used his ruling to rail against a 2003 decision that struck down the sodomy law in texas. scalia wrote -- what exactly does this mean?
8:20 am
justice scaliak mischaracterizes these cases. for hundreds of years, the supreme court has built case law based on precedent. what lawrence did was, it recognized that laws actually criminalize the physical expression of love between two people of the same gender, they violate the constitution. the physical relationship of two people of the same gender is indicative of an emotional bond that is far deeper. with the court did today was built upon a precedent, and it applied lawrence to our loving, committed same-sex couples marriages. so it was building on president, just like the supreme court does today. that is exactly what we expect the supreme court to do. i would note, justice scalia, it is in the sense, as the majority
8:21 am
of the supreme court believes, that laws that openly discriminates against same-sex couples under federal law and to violate the constitutional rights of lesbian and gay people. clipwant to turn to a from conservative radio show host glenn beck. he was interviewing rand paul of kentucky following decisions. glenn beck speaks first. >> i am very concerned. i really do not care. you get married, you do not get married. homosexual marriage or whatever. first problem with this is if you change one variable, man and a woman to man and man, woman and woman, you cannot tell me that you cannot logically changed the other variable, one man, three women. one woman, four men. you cannot do that.
8:22 am
who are you to say that if i am a devout muslim and i come here with three wives, who are you to say, if i am an american citizen, that i cannot have multiple marriages? >> this is a conundrum and goes back to the opening of what you said and whether or not charges should decide this. if we have no laws on this, people take it to one extension further, does it have to be human? andquestion is, what -- some social mores be part of legislation? historically we did at the state legislative level. some forlow some, health reasons, and otherwise. i am kind of with you. i see the thousands of year tradition of the nucleus of the family unit. i also see, economically, if you look without any moral periscope, and you say what is the leading cause of poverty in our country?
8:23 am
it is having kids without marriage. the instability is enormous. we should not be punting on it and say that marriage is anything. >> stuart gaffney, your response to the possibility that this opens up the floodgates of polygamy and the disintegration of the family? hear its interesting to characterized as a conundrum. i would think it is more pri to say that this is a fallacy and red herring. marriage is a love and commitment between two people. that is the same argument that was used against couples like my own mom and dad, it an interracial couple that faced -- over a third of the state's bar their marriage a generation ago when they sought to legally marry. when those lawsuits were brought and overturned, making my family
8:24 am
legal in all 50 states, we heard exactly the same arguments about polygamy, and what about the children? the reality is, the supreme court has moved forward law in a tremendous way with these two cases decided yesterday, but it also moved forward and dialogue. in the oral argument top -- , justice can be asked about the children, emphasizing the importance of the freedom to marry. thered, in california, are 40,000 kids being raised by same-sex couples. what about their rights, art their voices critical to this case? we saw in the decision it is not just right in the matter of law, but right as a matter of love. the love between two people. just as making my parents' legal in all 50 states did not lead to
8:25 am
polygamy, making our marriage legal only resulted in my mom and dad being able to witness our wedding day, which was, for all of us, one of the happiest days of our lives. >> it is interesting you bring up your family background. this advancesd, human rights, but the day before, the scuttling of the voting rights act of 1965, such an incredible step backwards for so many people in this country. very mindful as we celebrate the good news in these two cases of how much work remains to be done. as we were part of a joyous celebration in the streets of san francisco, and similar celebrations were held in over 75 cities across the u.s. yesterday, we thought this was good news and we should mark this as a landmark day for our
8:26 am
community and all fair-minded americans, and tomorrow we should roll up our sleeves and get back to work. also, people have sometimes said, are you disappointed in these rulings, why don't we have a 50-state solution coming out of the court? this is actually the best we could have gotten out of these particular nine justices. of all the scenarios that were likely to be able to get us five votes from the court, this was the best possible outcome, which is why we have so much joy in our community. about an to ask you article by kevin drum from "ther jones entitled problem with the supreme court's --ision." he writes
8:27 am
john, i wonder if you could respond to that? >> the jurisdiction question before the supreme court in the proposition 8 case were complex and they cut various ways. what is most interesting and important about the proposition 8 case is that there is a fundamental principle of federal jurisdiction that you cannot continue an appeal, cannot pursue a lawsuit on and on, if you are not actually personally injured by the law. something that is a bedrock truth of the freedom to marry movement is that, as you can see, it is of enormous benefit to the loving, committed same- sex couples who are directly affected, while it has
8:28 am
absolutely no effect on anyone else's marriage or anyone else. that was the problem that the backers of proposition 8 had. allowing the freedom to marry in california just as not affect them. because of that, they did not have a personal injury that they could then continue this litigation. that is why the supreme court dismissed the appeal. 136-stand, the 136 page -- page district opinion addressed the evidence after a two-week trial and found proposition 8's exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage violates our most basic freedom, fairness, and equality guarantees. thank you forney,
8:29 am
being here. they were surrounded by friends and family in june 2008 on the first full day same-sex marriages were legal in california. the backers of proposition 8 tried to retroactively invalidate their marriage, but the california supreme court ruled those marriages still stood. ath john and stuart work at marriage equality. congratulations to you both. when we come back, the fight for same-sex marriage in maryland. we will speak with filmmaker --ut her film called filmmaker yoruba richen about her film "the new black." ♪ [music break]
8:30 am
8:31 am
>> "ain't you got a right to the tree of life" by guy & candie carawan. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. coverage ofue our the supreme court ruling with a look at a new film that looks at how the african-american community is grappling with lgbt rights in the campaign to legalize same-sex rights in -- marriage in maryland. this is from the documentary "the new black." >> this is not about gay rights. the difference between civil rights and sacred rights. >> same-sex marriage will be put to vote here in maryland. sex marriage in the
8:32 am
state of maryland. in african-le american children -- churches all hopped [no audio] between gays and african- americans. >> all the sudden, it was black person is gay. >> our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. >> he asked, when are you getting married? >> well, we are working on it. >> regardless of what laws they may write, god designed the family. >> who has been the hardest hit in the issue of family? the african-american community. >> we were blasphemous and not
8:33 am
to compare the gay movement with the right for civil rights. is gay the new black? >> i believe this election ought to be a referendum on the church, a referendum on black preachers. >> if we do not reach out to these people, who will? opposition. god does not make lesbians. finish.e >> sensuality in african- american community is taboo. we do not discuss it in any form. >> i felt like could not be myself because i would shame you. i ain't with that. >> this is the unfinished business of black people being free.
8:34 am
>> i am ready to win, i am ready to make history. that is the trailer for "the new black," a new film produced by yoruba richen, also a former producer here at democracy now!. this weekend, it plays at frameline, the nation's largest lgbt festival in san francisco. she also published an op-ed for "how youthek labeled led the change in public attitudes on same-sex marriage." she is also the producer of "promised land." your response to the supreme court decisions, and how that his inform your film. >> the trailer ended with one of the characters saying, i am ready for history to be made.
8:35 am
it is incredible. the last couple of years when i have been filming -- i started in 2010 -- and what has happened is just -- every month, some new development has happened in gay rights. and of course, the decisions came down yesterday, an incredible time. >> it is also bittersweet for the african-american and latino community, not only the momentum of the decision, but also the two decisions restricting affirmative-action, as well as cutting the voting rights act. personaltruck me on a loan is, it seems, for some of us in this country, our rights -- someone is always voting on them or deciding about our rights. mixed week for a
8:36 am
black lgbt folks, lgbt folks of color. it is a terrible shame and loss. we have a couple of steps forward, a few steps backwards. it seems like that is how we go in this country. >> let's go back to your film, "the new black." we need two women doing outreach to young african-american men in maryland. >> are you registered to vote? >> how old are you? >> 21. >> we have to get you registered. >> that is not cool. >> what made you be gay? >> what made you be straight? same thing.
8:37 am
i know that because a black man like yourself stood up for a woman like me, i have the same opportunities. you have the opportunity to stand up for someone else. whether you are gay or not, you are here to represent. >> they do not have a right to say that you cannot be with them. who has that power? nobody. >> put the power in your hands. we want you to vote. vote for 6. >> do you need community service hours? you could always volunteer with us to get some community service hours. hughes andaylor samantha master. yoruba richen, talk about what they are doing and the significance of the campaign they are doing in maryland. watch inas amazing to
8:38 am
maryland, i think a real bitter pill was learned after proposition 8 was passed in california and they lost marriage equality, of course the supreme court reversed yesterday. it was the first time that there was a marriage amendment or the black community was a significant voting bloc, and they did major can reach an work within the black community. we have been talking about some of the activists and we have called it the out of the shadows moment, where you have black lgbt activists calling on the streets of baltimore, in the suburbs of prince george's county, in the rural areas in maryland -- maryland is a pretty diverse state -- and really engaging black voters on why they should support this issue, and if they do not, why not. and of course, black churches as well.
8:39 am
the black church is a big factor in maryland, as well in our community. they really engaged. that is why we saw the outcome that we saw in maryland, and for the first time, the public voted to uphold marriage equality. referendum. never before did a public vote to uphold in a ballot referendum. >> you talk about the role of the black church. could you talk about the battles that you saw among the various ministers and congregations? anti- leader of the equality marriage was a black pastor, derek mccoy. onwas certainly focused getting the black churches in the opposition and in support as well. because of the significant role that the black church played in the state.
8:40 am
>> let's go back to your film on this issue. you examine the significance and importance of the black church. priests.ear from two it begins with an activist. >> the black chase was -- the black church was a place to go where we did not have a place to go before. the black preacher was a figure of some importance because he spoke to these people every sunday morning. he was a guide, moral leader. you look for him on how to behave, how to be a person. >> and organizing during the civil rights movement often took place in the churches. there were facilities that we had control over, so there is a natural relationship between the clergy, church, and civil rights movement. thet has historically been
8:41 am
center of education and information. if someone was ill, if a woman just had a baby, if someone died in the family, we have in that organization, the black church, people on the ready to respond to those families. we are talking about community, a village, a sense of belonging, a sense of self-worth and value. you could go to a job and they andld call you boy, jim, then you come to your church and your name is deacon james jones, and then use it in the front with trustees, and you drive your chevrolet to church, and you wear your suit, and you have a place of prominence that the world does not give. but the end result of that is, oftentimes, in order for people
8:42 am
who have been trampled upon to feel powerful, there is a need to trample upon someone else. go to another clip about coming out in the black community. this is our & b singer tonay. >> god is good. ladies and gentlemen, let me bring to the stage right now one of the most annoying and young men in our country. he is ready to put a choke hold on the devil. he is ready to tell the world, i do this in the name of jesus. i introduce the one and only tonay. 2000, i was998 and all the rage. people went bananas. i have six stellar nominations.
8:43 am
is when the touring began. somebody else for the first time had to take over the choir at my father's church. my father got the billboard magazine. he looked at me and said, you did it. thest smile because it was first time i felt like my dad validated me. two months later, he was dead. little by little, i started feeling the sting in the back of my head, you know what time it
8:44 am
is. i was getting tired playing these games. i did not tell anyone but my music started changing, people started questioning. i came up with an ep called rainbow, and people were like, what does that mean? piece by piece, i started revealing things. >> the significance of him and his coming out in the black community in the church? the castingresented out that was happening, that is happening in the black church around six melody. he is such a talented singer. he devoted his life to the church. his father was a minister, he was a minister. when he came out about his sexual, he was basically banned from the gospel industry. his story, to me, was so
8:45 am
powerful, really epitomized what was going on in the black church, in many places around the black church around sexually and why this unspoken become a hit in thing that people could not talk about, and if they do, they are banned from their families, community, and their churches. >> south africa right now is a very critical time. former president nelson mandela is on my support. in 2014 onill air pbs, on independent lands. the previous film aired on a pov in 2010. the significance of this transition point in south africa right now? >> wow. president mandela is an
8:46 am
inspiration for, obviously, the whole world. as an african-american person who saw the freedom struggle in south africa, was inspired by it all my life, inspired to make "promised land," this transition is very painful for a lot of us, but it is also part of the growth of the country. we still have to remember south africa is a relatively new democracy. it faces challenges and mandela was the first to say that. we honor him, his legacy. obviously, it lives on in all of us and in the country, and yet, south africa has a lot of challenges and needs to address. >> as your film points out, the issue of land ownership has not been addressed by majority rule in south africa. >> it has not. of course, land ownership has
8:47 am
everything to do with economic situation there with racial disparity, and those issues have not been addressed. stadium whennkee nelson mandela spoke their. >> i lived in harlem. our whole building walked over to yankee stadium to watch him speak, one of the most memorable moments of my life. >> we have a little clip from mandela at yankee stadium from the film "mandela in america." he is introduced by harry belafonte. >> never in the history of humankind has there ever been a voice that has more clearly caught the imagination and spirit and fired up the hope, the freedom and the voice of the deputy president of south africa, nelson mandela.
8:48 am
[applause] the principle of one-person, one-vote, on a non racial voting role is there for our central objective. throughout our lifetime, we have fought against a nation come and have fought against black domination. we intend to remain true to this principle to the end of our days. >> that was nelson mandela at yankee stadium. yoruba richen, thank you for being with us. we will interview you after the show about "promised land" and put it on our website. yoruba richen, the director of "the new black. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report.
8:49 am
back in a minute. ♪ [music break]
8:50 am
>> "holy moses" by aretha franklin. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. show with this's week showed an over abortion rights in texas. approach was advocates and democratic lawmakers waged a battle into early wednesday morning to successfully block a bill that would have forced nearly all of the state's abortion clinics to close. cecile richards read the victory message from texas state senator windy davis -- wendy daivs. first, i love you guys.
8:51 am
this is from wendy davis. we love you, too, wendy. the lieutenant governor has agreed that sb5 is dead. [applause] >> but the victory was short- lived barry later that day, yesterday, texas governor rick perry announced he was calling the legislature into another special session july 1 to revive the anti-abortion bill. he said -- >> the move could overrule the actions of wendy davis who launched what she intended to be a 13-hour filibuster.
8:52 am
during that time, she would not be allowed to eat or drink or stray from the topic. >> i rise on the floor today to hundley to voice to thousands of ignored.o have been >> her filibuster lasted for 11 hours before republicans cut her off. that is when her colleagues and protesters in the gallery took over. democrats spoke. >> parliamentary inquiry. at what point must a been a senator raise her hand or voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room? [applause] protesters sustain their cheering for roughly 15 minutes drowning of the proceedings
8:53 am
until the midnight deadline had passed and the special session was over, but republican lawmakers had claimed they pass the bill anyway. journalists with the texas tribune and other media outlets took screen grabs of the site minutes later after it had been changed to say that the bill passed on june 25, before the deadline. around 3:00 a.m., they ruled that the vote was illegitimate. more about the protests and what comes next, we are joined by planned parenthood federation president cecile richards. she was there to announce the .ecision in the capital welcome back. talk about the people's filibuster and what actually took place, this rare moment.
8:54 am
>> it has been amazing this entire journey. gerberry tried to get this bill through in a regular session, could not, because it is not supported by the people of texas. so they called a special session in which they have changed their role of the book. what you saw, a day ago, thousands of people came to the capitol to protest this bill and ultimately it did not pass. >> now the governor wants to try again. >> he is not giving up. he is putting his own political agenda ahead of the women of texas. this is a devastating bill for women's health in the state of texas. all polls show that the people of texas to not support the bill, they want the legislature to move onto more important topics, and it is clear that only a third of the people of texas trust this legislature and
8:55 am
governor when it comes to women's health. >> there you were in the rotunda, and delta to hundreds of people that the bill actually did not pass, standing under the portrait of your mother. we wanted to go to your mother, the late governor of texas, .efore george w. bush beings ann richards interviewed by james henson. he asked her whether she felt her years of work and women's rights had been successful. >> there is no question the very fact that young women have the same opportunity in college, that they have a chance to play thats because of title ix, they have the right to terminate a pregnancy that does not make sense in their life or for the life of a child, the fact that
8:56 am
we have equal opportunity in the workplace, all of those things would never have happened if those of us who were participants of the women's movement had not been there and fought so hard. >> you sound satisfied. >> i am hardly satisfied. i am outraged most of the time of how the progress seems to forl, how difficult it is young people to realize that they're very freedoms are in jeopardy if they are not willing but you alsothem have to look back and accept, and be pleased that things have changed. perioddmother, during a of her life, did not have the right to vote. the law in texas was that
8:57 am
idiots, imbeciles, the insane, and women could not vote. and less than one generation later i was the governor of texas. >> that was former texas gov. ann richards. you are dealing with a very different governor today. talk about the significance of the bill we're talking about, what does this mean for texas? >> this would mean that dozens of health care providers that provide safe and legal abortions in texas would be forced to close. to five healthn centers out of more than 40. it means that women who live in west texas, south texas, will have to drive hundreds of miles to find a health care provider. that is the of greatest thing about this bill. it has nothing to do with helping women.
8:58 am
the lieutenant governor has been clear, this is about shutting down women's health centers. >> ironically, wendy davis would not have been in office if the justice department did not .alidate the redistricting >> you are right. the republican party has been out to get wendy davis for a long time. she is one of the most effective leaders for women across the state. i feel like a fuse was led the other night in texas and folks are not going back. >> will we see another woman governor in texas? >> a lot of people would say it is about time, and nothing would please mom more. >> we will continue to follow this issue. cecile richards, the president of planned parenthood.
8:59 am
democracy now! is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. email your comments to outreach@democracynow.org or mail them to democracy now! p.o. box 693, new york, ny 10013.
9:00 am

104 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on